When Grafton Township was founded in 1850, the area population was recorded at 440. By 1870, the township population had grown to 1,359. Thomas Stillwell Huntley (1807-1894) was the first elected Supervisor of Grafton Township; that is the only elected office he ever held. He was much loved and respected by the area residents; that his obituary stated that “his kindness and generosity will always be remembered so long as the history of the town remains”. The area was first settled as a farm community. Good land and hard work made for a surplus of farm products and local farmers were able to produce enough milk to supply local creameries and to send milk to other milk plants in Chicago. Grafton contains a large proportion of low, wet land about the central parts, hence is better adapted to stock than grain, and like the neighboring townships of Coral and Algonquin, the leading industry among the farmers is the dairy business. This township is one of the southern tier, being joined on the south by Kane County, on the east by Algonquin, on north by Dorr, and the west by Coral. It is township 43, range 7. 

Quick Facts

• Located in McHenry County Illinois.
• Serving Huntley IL, Algonquin IL, Lakewood IL, Crystal Lake IL, and Lake in the Hills IL
• Population - 53,125 (2010) 
• Area - 36 square miles

The Grafton Township Senior Bingo program is held at the Huntley American Legion, 11712 W. Coral St in  Huntley, on every 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the month. The program starts at 11:00 and ends around 2:30. All seniors are welcome, and walk-ins are encouraged to join in on the fun. If you have any questions, please feel free to call us @ 847-669-3328.

Upcoming 2023 Bingo Events -

The Bingo program begins at 11:00 AM and ends at 2:30 PM. Bingo is open to all seniors who wish to attend, and walk-ins are always welcome.

This program is only available to litigants in eviction court. This assistance is to help both landlords and tenants across Illinois (Excluding Cook County) Litigants may qualify for up to $25,000 in emergency rental payments. Which can include up to 15 months of past due rent, and 3 months of future rent payments to prevent eviction. Please click HERE for more information, or call 866-454-3571.

The McHenry County Housing Authority is pleased to announce their new Weatherization Program. The sole focus of the Weatherization Program is to make your home more energy efficient. we do that by conducting a full inspection on the home. We are focused on the BIG 3, your furnace, water heater, and A/C unit. They aim for correction first. If not, then replacement to a more energy efficient system. This all comes at NO COST to you if you qualify. Please click HERE to view the flyer or call 815-338-7752.

Com Ed Assistance Programs

Commonwealth Edison has several assistance programs to help with your electric bill. Please click HERE to go to ComEd's assistance website. ComEd's offered assistance programs are; Fresh Start, Catch Up & Save, Your Neighbor Fund, Payment Arrangements, Due Date Extension, Deposit & Late Payment Waiver, & LIHEAP. These programs may change due to funding. 

LIHEAP Energy Assistance Program

The LIHEAP Program is administered by the McHenry County Housing Authority. To view the informative flyer, click HERE for English and HERE for Spanish. Please call to set up an appointment @ 815-338-7752. The LIHEAP program takes applications from September 1st until May 31st, or until the funds have been exhausted. Please call the McHenry County Housing Authority for more details and to check if funding is still available.

Nicor Gas Energy Assistance Programs

Nicor Gas has several assistance programs to help you pay your gas bill. The programs are; Payment Arraingement, Budget Plan, Shield of Caring, Sharing Program, LIHEAP, Percentage of Income Payment Plan, & the Energy Aide Program. To learn more about these assistance programs, please click HERE to go to Nicor's website.

Are you in need of a cell phone? SafeLink Wireless is providing free cell phones to people who qualify. These smart phones come with unlimited talk, text, data, and include a 10 GB hotspot. Please click HERE to go to their website to get more information and to apply. If you need assistance please call 847-669-3328.

General Assistance/Emergency Assistance -  Grafton Township Residents Only  

Grafton Township offers General and Emergency Assistance to Grafton Township residents. Please complete this  G.A./E.A. Application, print it out, and gather the Required Documents listed on the first page. If you need assistance with getting an application, you can pick one up, or call our office and we'll mail one to you.

Once you've completed your application, and have all of your documents, please call to make an appointment. 

The objective of EA is to assist in emergency situations, such as a disconnection notice on a utility bill, a letter of pending eviction, or a 5 day eviction notice.

If the amount needed to alleviate the emergency exceeds the grant amount, the township may not pay until the client comes up with the difference. The cooperation of several agencies may be needed to alleviate the problem.

If you are unsure if you reside in Grafton Township, please call our office and we will help 847-669-3328.

For additional Assistance Resources, please click HERE.

McHenry County Housing Authority list of Resources click HERE.

Applications will be accepted by appointment only. Please call 847-669-3328.

Huntley Salvation Army -  Huntley Residents Only

Grafton Township is the Huntley branch for the Salvation Army. If you're a resident of Huntley, and you need financial assistance, please print out the Salvation Army Application, and call Grafton Township for an appointment to return your completed application. For more information go to the Supervisor's section on this website. All other Grafton Township residents need to apply at the Crystal Lake Salvation Army. Please call them at 815-455-2769 to check for rules and eligibility.

Applications will be accepted by appointment only. Please call 847-669-3328.

SNAP Food Program, TANF, Dental, and Medical Assistance

Illinois Department of Human Services

512 Clay Street
Woodstock, Illinois 60098
815-338-0234

To apply for Medicade, SNAP, or TANF online, click HERE

Illinois Department of Employment Security

I.D.E.S. - Unemployment Assistance & Job Retraining

Have you recently lost your job? Job re-training is available to those who qualify.

To Apply for Unemployment benefits, look for a job, or look for job retraining information, please click HERE.

Social Security Programs

To learn more about Social Security programs and to apply for Social Security benefits, please click HERE.

Dental Assistance

Do you need dental assistance? Help is here! If you qualify, you may receive up to $1,000 in financial assistance. Please click HERE to go to the McHenry County Housing website for details about the Dental program, and how to qualify, or contact Kayla Prendergast @ kprendergast@mchenrycountyhousing.org 

Meals on Wheels

Are you in need of home delivered meals? Catholic Charities of McHenry County is now delivering meals to seniors age 60 and over. Formerly known as Meals on Wheels, this program helps home bound seniors get a daily hot nutritious meal. If you live in McHenry County and would like to sign up for this program, please call 1-800-339-3200. Click HERE to view the flyer for McHenry County residents. For Kane County residents please call the Kane Senior Council @ 1-630-338-0999. Click HERE to view the Kane County Flyer.

If you are interested in volunteering to deliver meals, please contact one of the agencies above.

2-1-1 (United Way)

2-1-1 is the United Way, and an extensive resource database for anyone needing assistance. 2-1-1 provides a free and easy way for everyone to access help with almost any challenge. When you dial 2-1-1, you will be connected with a call center that will direct you to the appropriate social service agency or nonprofit organization. Trained specialists will quickly assess your needs and offer knowledgeable information and referrals. Totally confidential. Please call 2-1-1 or go to www.findhelp211.org for more assistance information.

Do you know a Veteran who needs food, housing, employment, or transition support? Veterans Path to Hope provides Veterans in need and their families the services necessary to experience hope and achieve success. Services at the Crystal Lake site are confidential and provided free of charge. There are eligibility requirements for some services. We welcome Veterans and their families, as well as active military and reserves. For more information please call Veterans Path to Hope @ 815-321-4673(HOPE), or click HERE to go to their website. Veterans Path to Hope is located in at 805 McHenry Ave Suite D, Crystal Lake, Illinois 60014

The McHenry County Housing Authority has moved. The new address is: 1125 Mitchell Court, Crystal Lake, 60014

The M.C.H.A. has a variety of services available to McHenry County residents. Some of the programs offered are: Federal Housing Choice Voucher Program, Public Housing in scattered 3 bedroom homes throughout McHenry County, Senior Housing for low income seniors and people with disabilities in 2 rental developments, Administers Homeless Prevention Program, Emergency Shelter Program, Administers a Rehab program that assists low income home owners repair their homes, Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program(LIHEAP) that assists low income households with the cost of heating and cooling their homes, and Administers the Weatherization Program that assists low income households to make repairs to their homes that will reduce the cost of heating and cooling their homes. 

To learn more about the programs that are available and how to qualify, click HERE to go to the M.C.H.A. website.

Click HERE to view The McHenry County Housing Authority's Resource Guide - This comprehensive list of resources will help you find various types of assistance throughout the county such as: Food Pantries, Veterans Assistance Programs, Medical Care, Dental Care, Diaper Banks, Pet related Services, Affordable and Subsidized Housing, Local Shelters, and so much more. For more information about these programs, and to see if you qualify, please visit or call the McHenry County Housing Authority. 

The McHenry County Housing Authority has moved. The new address is: 1125 Mitchell Court, Crystal Lake, 60014

The McHenry County Community Developement Division is offering up to $20,000 in grant funds to help create lead safe homes in McHenry County. Homes built before 1978 are at risk of lead based paint hazards, which can have severe side effects on residents, especially children. Please click HERE for English and HERE for Spanish, to view the informational flyer. To apply directly please click HERE to go to the McHenry County website. For additional information please contact Jena Hencin @ 815-334-4552 or email Jena @ jmhencin@mchenrycountyil.gov for more information.

The newly expanded McRide service is now available to all McHenry County & Huntley residents. The updated service is also now offering county wide travel. Travelers can use the service to travel anywhere in McHenry County, with connections to travel outside of the county as well.

To register and schedule your ride call 800-451-4599 

Call Center Hours

Monday - Friday, 5:30 a.m. - 6:00 p.m., or 711 for the relay service

Saturday & Sunday - 8:30 AM - 4:00 PM (Same Day Trip Reservations Only)

Holidays - 8:00 - 5:00